Warriors Drop Regional Opener against Southwestern

TORRANCE, Calif. - The No. 3 seeded El Camino College Warriors lost their opening game against Southwestern 5-4 on Friday afternoon at Warrior Field. 

The Southwestern Jaguars were walked off in a 10-9 loss to Fullerton College in the day's first game and in a must win game to extend their season.  

Anthony Camarena drew the start for the Warriors and went eight innings allowing four runs on ten hits, one walk, and struck out five. Ty Vann got the start for the Jaguars and went 5.2 innings allowing three runs on five hits, two walks, four hit batsmen, and struck out seven. Luis Lara picked up the win after tossing 3.1 innings and allowing one run on three hits and striking out six batters.

The Warriors had the Jaguars starter on the ropes in the first inning after getting two runners on a Slater Nunez base hit and Caden Lewis getting hit. Nunez attempted to take third on a wild pitch but was thrown out at third for the second out of the inning. The Warriors would load the bases after a Dylan Mares walk and Gil Solis getting hit by a pitch. However, they left all three runners stranded after Ty Vann struck out Johnny Munoz to end the inning.

The Wariors finally found the break through scored first in the fifth inning. Kai Nagashima led the inning off with a base hit and advanced to second on a Nolan Fox sac bunt. Nathan Rivera brought him on a two out knock up the middle to make it a 1-0 game.

In the sixth inning, the Jaguars loaded the bases with no outs after two singles and a walk. Camarena induced a 1-2-3 double play after fielding a comebacker hit to him. He escaped the jam after getting a flyout to center to end the inning.

In the bottom half of the sixth inning, the Warriors loaded the bases with two outs after Lewis and Munoz were hit by a pitch and Gil Solis had a single. Kai Nagashima doubled in two runs to right center to give the Warriors a 3-0 lead.

The Jaguars responded with four runs of their own in the top of the seventh to take the lead. After a leadoff double from Luke McDonough, Camarena got two fielder's choice to get two outs. Davis Burns singled to put runners on the corner. Gavin Daley singled through the left side to make it a 3-1 game. Andrew Guevara hit a three run homer over the right field wall to make it a 4-3 game.

The Warriors tied the game up in the bottom of the eighth inning after Gil Solis homered to left center to make it a 4-4 game.

Henry Sorman pitched the top of the ninth in relief of Camarena and had what should've been a 1-2-3 inning. However after a 2-0 pitch to Andrew Guevara with two outs, Sorman got Guevara to ground out on a ball that came off the end of the bat to third base. The umpires met for a conference and ruled the ball came off Guevara's foot and was a foul ball. After coming back out of the dugout, Guevara hit Sorman's second pitch over the right field wall for his second blast of the game to give the Jaguars a 5-4 lead in the ninth.

The Warriors went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth to end the game.  

The Warriors will take on Fullerton College on Saturday at 11:00 a.m. in a win-or-go home game for the Warriors.  Fullerton College will play Southwestern at 3:00 p.m. regardless of the first game's result.  If the Warriors defeat Fullerton in the first game, they will take on the winner of Fullerton and Southwestern on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. with the winner of the game advancing to the super regionals.